Grand Army of the Tuigan
The Grand Army of the Tuigan, also simply called the Horde, was a formidable fighting force that was assembled by Yamun Khahan and rose to prominence in the Hordelands during the 14th century DR. Organization Formed mostly of horsemen, Yamun Khahan's army was fast, efficient, and lethal. The army was organized as follows: * Arban - group of 10 soldiers, led by one sergeant * Jagun - 10 arbans or 100 soldiers, led by one commander * Minghan - 10 jaguns or 1,000 soldiers, led by a khan * Tumen - 10 minghans or 10,000 soldiers led by individuals selected by the Great Khan * Army Commanders - sons or trusted generals of Yamun Khahan, each had command of 2–6 (or more) tumens Yamun Kahan's army numbered over 300,000 strong during the height of its power. However, their main strength lay not in sheer numbers, which they certainly possessed, but in the accountability of each individual soldier. If one man within an arban committed a crime, then all 10 men of that arban were punished. Similarly, if a single man distinguished himself during combat, then all were praised and honored. This iron-willed mentality transformed simple soldiers into something far greater. Activities Tactics The Horde always carried four times as many horses as men. This allowed for their swift movement which often made it easy for them to surprise and surround their slower adversaries. All individuals of the various tribes of the Hordelands began their training with horses at a very early age. Children learned the art of controlling their mounts to work alone and in coordinated groups. As adults, the Tuigans were masters of horseback feints, feigned retreats, and forced encirclement. Yamun Kahan pioneered the skilled use of drums, flags, horns, and standards to communicate during pitched battle, giving his fighting force a huge advantage over any opponent they faced on the field. Through strict practice and drilling, he was able to effectively communicate with the commanders of his tumens during battle. It was suspected that he learned, and further developed, these techniques from the Shou. Yamun also mastered the use of the feinting charge: a tactic where he would charge the enemy to nearly within range of their missiles, fire a volley of his own, and gather intelligence on the strengths of his enemy. More often than not, when faced with such a massive charge of horsemen, the enemy would instantly commit their most dangerous and mobile weapons, allowing the Tuigan ample time to counter. Base of Operations Though they rose to power on the vast steppes of the Hordelands, the Horde ranged over a considerable amount of territory including Semphar, Khazari, Shou Lung, and parts of Faerûn such as Thay, Thesk and Rashemen. Appendix References Category:Military organizations Category:Tuigan organizations Category:Organizations in Quaraband Category:Organizations in Thay Category:Organizations in Rashemen Category:Organizations in Semphar Category:Organizations in Khazari Category:Organizations in Thesk Category:Organizations in the Hordelands Category:Organizations in the Unapproachable East Category:Organizations in East Faerûn Category:Organizations in Northeast Faerûn Category:Organizations in Shou Lung Category:Organizations in Kara-Tur Category:Organizations on Toril Category:Organizations